Apparatus for hardening steel



Decfl, 1931. J. H. HAFER 1,834,702

APPARATUS-FOR HARDENING STEEL Filed Jan. 1s, 1930 4 sheets-sheet 1 Afiomey w- ByQ/@waafzu Dec. l, 1931. J, H. HAFER 1,834,702

APPARATUS FOR HARDENING STEEL Dec. l, 1931.

J. H. HAFER APPARATUS FOR HARDENING STEEL Filed Jan. 15, 1930sheets-sheet s n ven tor A ttorney Dec. l, 1931. J. H. HAFER I APPARATUSFOR HARDENING STEEL Filed Jap.: 15, 1930 4 sheets-sheet 4 i/ fo Inventor q mi A itorney cylinder.

Patented Dec. 1, 1931 eAreN-rfoFFifeE :minnen: manna; or Nnwronr,'KENTUKY Arrnnnrus non: HfiannivrrieA srnnn Application,ledfJ'anuaryQlS, 19.30.". Serial No. 420,924,

This invention. relateslto apparatusfor handeningsteel and, an ,objectIof the invenf. tion `is to `provide an apparatus .that is very: simpleinoperation, strong,compactand dural ble, thoroughly reliable forits,intendedpur-- pose, very efficient in` operationandcoinpara# tivelyinexpensive to manufacture.

Another object ofthe. invention isfto pro-v vide fory hardening,` 1steel,by subjecting-,steel to a liquid or vapor bath under pressure toeliminate checlring, cracking and to insure uniform quenching o f allparts of the steel being treated.regardless ofthe contour, shape.

and thicknesses thereof. i n

lVith the, foregoing and othery objectsin View, the invention. consistsof a novel ,confk struction, combination, ,arrangement of'parts,- aswill be hereinafter more specilically'de scribed and illustratedin theaccompanying drawings. wherein is disclosed an einbodi-f ment of theinvention', but it. is `tobe @understood that changes, variations, :andinodications may be resorted to without .departing from the spirit ,ofthe claims: hereuntoapf pended.

In thedrawings: y

Figure 1 is aside elevation, partly broken away, of, the apparatus inaccordance with the present invention, L

Figure 2 is anenlarged vertical section in detailof the front portion ofthe apparatus,

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical.sectionv in detail, partly broken away,of theY rearrendlof the cylinder, I, o, y p

Figure A is a vertical section taken substa'nfv tially on linel P- 4 ofFigure 2.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectiontaken substanf. tially onlineof Fi'gure,`Y Y kFigure 6 is a front elevation of the appara-` tus having vpartsbroken away Figure 7 is a `rear end elevation of V'the It is well knownin the, heat treating art that subinerging. hot -castingszinliq'uidbaths at atmospheric pressure cause hubblesof gas or vapor toadhere tothe surface of thecasting which cause uneven quenohingfof thecasting. It will therefore be Vobvious that the primary feature ofthepresentinvention is to provide forliquidor vapor quenching underpressure to eliminate the. uneven quenchingcaused byopen liquid baths.

Referring to the drawings in detail,`l10V indicates `Aan elongated Vflatpedestal supporti ed voni'fourflegs 11. AV supporting Vbase 12 5.5

is bolted to thepedestal- 10 by a plurality of bolts 13 and the upperend ofthe base` 12 merges. in a vhollow tubular 4support 14 which isinteriorly threaded as at 15,? 16 at its oppositeendsl n V n 60:

Adjacent the inner end of the threaded portions115, 16 there are formedapair-of annular,` outstandingv shoulders" 17,V- 18 Aand between ytheshoulders and-the inner ends of the threaded .portion there areprovided' 65. pockets 19, 2O.'r Y

Extending axially through thel tubular support ,14 is an: elongated,hollow vcylinder indicatedgenerally at 121, the periphery of which isslidablysupported on the peripheral w edges of the shoulders 17, 18.v

A gland nutl 22..threada'bly engages in the threadedend 15 of thesupport'll and the inner end thereof presses a paokingggland 23 againstthe'shoulders 17 to provide'a slida- 75 ble supportfor the cylinder 21.To theopposite threaded end 16 ofthe support 14one' end of "apacking-sleeve 24 is connected'and this inner. lend presses a fibergland 25 against the yshoulder 18to form a tightjoint and 50 bearingforthe cylinder 21. Y p Y The Outerfr'eeend of theVY sleeve -2/1 isthreaded as at 26 and threadablyniounted thereon isl agland nut27`holding afgland packing 28 against'the inner end of theoout'er 85free endofthe sleeve 24. The sle'e`ve`244V forms an additional bearingsurface for the-cylinder vwhich cyli'nderv 21 extends. therethrough.

. 'Theperipheries of the gland nuts 22,24

and 2T are provided with openings 29., so that 90 l the nuts and sleevemaybe tightened kfor i making... a tighter j oint, to l` compensateI forperipheral edge.

v supported on a standard 41, the lower end of which is secured to thepedestal 10.r

Piston rods 38, 39 project through the standard 41 and on the outer freeends thereof `there is connected a pair of three-wayvalves V42, 43. Tothese valves 42,43 are connected levers 44, which in turn are connectedwith rods 45 tiat Vareslidably supported in openings 46 extendingthroughthe flange 47 of the cylinder headv 31. The rod 45 is connectedwith the valve 42 and has a nutA 48 on its inner end that abuts theflange 47 while the rod 45 that connects with the valve 43 has a nut 49forwardly of the flange 47 and intermediate its ends to abut the flange47.

The'inlet passage of each of the three-way valves42, v43 are connectedwith air supply conductor pipes 50, 51, while another passage of thevalve is connected to exhaust conductor pipes 52, 53 and the thirdrvalvepassage ol each of the valves 42, 43 are connected with the outer end ofthe tubular piston rods 38, 39. p The inner end of the-hollow piston rod39 is open and communicates with an expansible chamber 54 formed betweenthe head 55 welded as at 56 across the interior of the elongatedcylinder 21 intermediate its end. Y l The inner end of the compartmentis bridged by the stationary piston headA 40 on which the cylinder 21 isslidable. The piston head 40 is formed of a central disk 57: formed witha piston ring 58 aboutits To insure adtight lit of the piston headwithin the cylinder there are a'pair of leather disks 59, 60 held inslidable abutment with the cylinder walls by a pair'of plates 61, 62andare secured to the central disk 57 by a plurality of screws 63. c Thelcentral disk 57 is provided with ya pair` of 'peripherallythreadedfopenings, spaced diametrically from each v'other in whichV theinner end of the'hollow piston rods 38, 3,9 are rigidly secured. fTheinnerv end of lthe hollow piston rod 38 is closed by a screw cap 64while the inner end of the piston rod 39 is open and Vcommunicates with(the chamber 54. Adjacent the point where the inner end of the pistonrod 38 extends through a piston head 40 there is an opening that is incommunication with chamber 66 formed between the piston headV 40 and thecylinder head 31.

' as using an vair pressure for operating the cylinder 21, it is withinthe contemplation thereof vto luse any fluid whether it be gas orliquid.

Intermediate the endV of the elongated cylinder 21, 'there is formed' aheat treatin@ chamber 67 by radial partition walls 68, 69 welded asl at70 to the inner peripheryof the cylinder wall.

'On the upper face of the chamber 67 there is provided a removable cap71 through which lthe, dies or other castings are charged into thechamber 67. On the diametric opposite side walls of the chamber 67 areformed a pair of openings 72, 73 through which admitted to the chamber,the. quenching liquid or vapor to be presently described.

At the inner end of the stroke of the cylinder 21, these openings 72register with openings 74 extending through the dialnetrically oppositesides of the support 14 andi connected to these openings 74 are branch`pipes 7 5, 76 that merge with conductor pipe 77`leading from thepressurel tank 78 disposedV above the support 14.

The rear end of the cylinder 21 is closed by an integral back wall 79through which extends a pressure gauge pipe 80, the inner end of whichis threadably supported in an opening 81 in the partition wall 69 andthe conductor pipe 8O communicates withV the On the outer end of theconchamber 67 ductor 8O is a pressurev gauge 82 by which pressure in thechamber 67 is determined.

v.Another conductor pipe 83 extends throughthe rear wall 79 and theinner end thereof is threadably supported inan opening 84 thatextends'through thepartition wall 69 adjacent vthe lower point Vof thechamber 67. VThrough this conductor pipe 83 is set up acirculation'of'vapor or liquid through the apparatusv depending uponwhether the,y steel in lchamber 67 is" being quenched in liquid orvapor. At the outer end of conductor pipe 83 there is a valve 84connected vto control the circulation o the fluid andconnected to thisvalve is one end of an armored flexible conductor pipe 85, the upper endof which leads into the liquid storage'tank 86 supported above thepressure tank 78.

Thereis a valve controlled conductor pipe 87 thatconnects `tank 86 withthe pressure as water or oil. To one end of the pressure tank 78 isconnected a conducting pipe89 which is valve controlled and this pipe 89leads from a suitabler air supply. Air pressure is maintained on tank 78of about one hundred and seventy live pounds.

In event steel is to be quenched in a liquid bath then the valve in theconductor pipe 87 l is opened to a point where the pressure tank 78 willbe substantially full of liquid. It a vapor quenching bath is desiredthen a small stream of quenching liquid is permitted to flow intopressure tank 7 8 whereupon it will be vaporized.

It therefore follows that the quenching medium whether it be in liquidor vapor phase is maintained in the apparatus at approximately onehundred and seventy five pounds pressure. The length of the strokeofthe` cylinder 21 should be such that the openings 72, 73 in chamber 67should register'with openings 74 in the support 14 at the inner end ofthe stroke and therefore the displacement in the expansible chamber 64and 66 should accommodate this registration.

The partition wall 55 and the cylinder head 31 being spaced lfrom thestationary piston head 40 is provided to accomplish this movement.

The" left hand end of the stroke and the parts in assembled relationwith respect to each other is shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. Inoperating the machine in accordance with the present invention, thesteel dies or other castings or castings or forgings to be treated arerst heated to a point within their critical temperature ranging fromfourteen hundred degrees Fahrenheit to twenty one hundred and fiftydegrees Fahrenheit depending upon the chemical analysis of the steel,sufficiently long to allow the rearrangement of the crystallinestructure thereof, is placed in the chamber 67.

Air is connected to conductor pipes 50, 51. rEhe three way valve 43 isthen opened to the position shown in Figure 1 by hand, where-Y upon airwill be conveyed to expansible chamber 54 and the cylinder 21 will bemoved to the left. At the same time valve 43 is opened, the three wayvalve 42 is in exhaust position from the previous stroke, and relievesthe pressure in chamber 66 as cylinder 21 moves to the left. At the endof the left hand stroke, the parts are so constructed as to bringopenings into registration with quenching fluid openings 74 in thesupport whereupon chamber 67 receives the inflowing quenching liquid orvapor under the aforementioned pressure.

The quenching liquid or Vapor sets up a circulation-throughA outletconductor 88, liexible ,conducton 85.y and back. into the liquidreceiving:tank` 86 w'fherebyY the steel in, the compartment 67 issubj'ectedto a circulating quenching luid,'.which may be either liquidon vapor-,under pressure.- r

["The rapidity of circulation iscontrolled by valvef84` onftheend ofconducto-r pipe 83. Ati' the-.endoftheleft hand'stroke flange 47 'abutsthe nut'or lug'49 and automatically moves the-v-alve 43 Vto exhaustpositionl to relieve the pressure in chamber 54 on the righthandestroke." .r

vWhen `thefsteel in chamber 67 has been 'quenchedf forthe desired.Ltime, valve.v 42k is then-operatedby'hand to open position which wouldbe tothe left; as show-n in Figure l of the drawings, whereupon airflow-s into chamber 66.1movingcylinder 21 to the right.

Atthe end of the right; hand stroke flange 311' abuts lug'48g1novingthree-'way valve 42 tothe exhaust position ready to begin another cycleof 1 oper-ation: when` valve v43 is turned yby handL-to ,openpositiomafter the die or yother casting or forging and then removed from thequenching chamber 67.

y"Itis-to be understoodthat by describing indetail herein,any particularform, structure, arrangement it is not intended to limit the inventionbeyond the terms of the several claims of the requirement of the priorart.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

l. A steel hardening apparatus comprising a support, a hollow cylindermounted for reciprocation on the support, a stationary piston headmounted interiorly of the cylinder and on which the cylinder is movable,a partition wall disposed in the cylinder intermediate its ends formingexpansible chambers on the opposite sides of the piston head, hollowpiston rods secured to the piston head one communicating with eachexpansible chamber and providing means for alternately supplying andexhausting fluid from the expansible chambers, a quenching vaporpressure tank in communication with opening in the support, and anindependent heat treating chamber in the cylinder having means thereonthat communicates with the vapor pressure tank through said openings inthesupport when the cylinder is at the inner end of its stroke forreceiving quenching vapor under pressure.

2. A steel hardening apparatus comprising a support, a hollow cylindermounted for reciprocation on the support, a stationary piston headmounted interiorly of the cylinder and on which the cylinder is movable,a. partition wall disposed in the cylinder intermediate its ends formingexpansible chambers on the opposite sides of the piston head, hollowpiston rods secured to the piston head one communicating with eachexpansible chamber and providing means for alternatelyE supplying and.exhausting luid from the eX- pansible chambers,.a quenching vaporkpressure tank in communication with opening in the support, and anindependent heat treatingv chamber in the cylinder having means thereonthat communicates with the vapor pressure tank through said openings inthe support when the cylinder is at the inner end of its stroke forreceiving quenching vapor under pressure, said first mentioned means onthe free ends'of the hollow .piston rods.

l3; A steel hardening apparatus compris` ing a reciprocating hollowcylinder, a stationary piston head in the cylinder dividing the cylinderinto apair ofeXpa-nsihlechambers, a pair of hollow pistonrods supportedon their inner ends on the piston head, one communicating with onechamber andv the otherA pistonY rod communicating with the otherchamber, means for alternately supplying and discharging fluid pressureto eac chamber, a heat treating compartment 1n the cylinder, aquenchingvapor tank, and means Y for connecting the Vapor pressure tank with theheat treating compartment at the one end of the stroke of the cylinder.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

JAMES H. HAFER.,

